After acknowledging that real strength comes from Christ and not himself, St. Paul writes: “So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Next Sunday is the celebration of the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. You can read a complete commentary on the Gospel here.
15 Then the Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech. 16 They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you do not regard a person’s status. 17 Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” 18 Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed him the Roman coin. 20 He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” 21 They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” 22 When they heard this they were amazed, and leaving him they went away. (Matthew 22:15-22) Continue reading
From today’s readings: While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.” (Luke 11:29-32)
In the book of Genesis, the garden of Eden is portrayed as a high place where heaven and earth are one, and human relationships reflect this unity. But Eden is lost when humans rebel against God, so the unity between heaven, earth, and all humanity is fractured. God’s work throughout the rest of the Bible is all about recovering this lost unity. Israel’s tabernacle and temple served as symbolic Edens as they allowed for human and divine space to overlap. Because of Jesus, this place is no longer limited to one location, and the unity of Eden can be experienced wherever God’s people gather together in his love. Continue reading
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n this story I think more Martha is given a bit of a hard time. After all, Jesus says that Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be denied her. And what do we then conclude about the part that Mary has chosen. Another way to look at this is to put yourself in Martha’s shoes. Jesus shows up at your door – would you have the presence of mind and the willingness to throw open the door and invite him in? Regardless of the readiness or what’s in the refrigerator? Maybe there is a thing or two to learn from Martha Continue reading
“Go and do likewise.” This seems like a pretty clear command from Jesus. You just heard the parable of the Good Samaritan, so what is it that you are to go and do likewise? Clearly the context for the parable is Jesus’ effort to tease out the scholar of the law what it means to love God and to love one’s neighbor – that’s the theory of it, but what are practical elements of the divine command? The scholar of the law never gets to that “because he wished to justify himself.” He asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” And that is where the proverbial rubber hits the road. Even if the scholar figures out who his neighbor is, there are the practical matters of “doing.” Jesus words punctuate the ending: “Go and do likewise.” Continue reading
In modern times we closely (solely?) understand the word “martyr” to mean someone who has died for their faith. The great cloud of witnesses is indeed replete with women and men of the first four centuries of the Christian era who died rather than turn from faith in the RIsen Jesus. And yet the underlying biblical meaning of “martyr” is actually something that all Christians are called to be.
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Today we celebrate the Memorial of St. Jerome, best known for his work on the translations of Hebrew and Greek texts of Sacred Scripture into the Latin language version known as the Vulgate. He was also known as a man given to being persnickety, temperamental, easily annoyed and with a quick temper. And he is a saint… there is hope for us all, perhaps.
Certainly, his work on translation is graced and worthy of praise and is a model of persistence, achieved over 30 years of effort. But so too is his persistence in the remorse of his actions with his friends and enemies. I won’t go over his history, his encounters, or his travelogue as he was bounced from place to place. He was not an innocent. Many of his problems were self-inflicted, but he ever turned toward God for grace, mercy and forgiveness. He was human but persistently sought God and the Good in this work for translation and in living out his problematic life. Continue reading
After 13 years in Tampa, my Franciscan Province has relocated me to St. Francis of Assisi parish in Triangle, VA – right next to Quantico Marine Corp Headquarters. I had about 30 days between receiving the word to move and arriving here in Northern Virginia (NOVA). Continue reading
After 13 years here at Sacred Heart in downtown Tampa, my Franciscan Province has transferred me to St. Francis of Assisi in Triangle, VA. So… I am going “off line” for a little bit with a hoped-for return around mid-October. God bless!
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